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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Court case over MoD job cut plans | Court case over MoD job cut plans |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| A court challenge is being made by a union over the terms on which the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is said to be seeking to shed 5,000 civilian jobs. | A court challenge is being made by a union over the terms on which the Ministry of Defence (MoD) is said to be seeking to shed 5,000 civilian jobs. |
| Prospect, which represents 16,000 defence professionals, has brought the action at London's High Court. | Prospect, which represents 16,000 defence professionals, has brought the action at London's High Court. |
| The union said the MoD's early release scheme (ERS) was "unlawful". | The union said the MoD's early release scheme (ERS) was "unlawful". |
| It claimed that the scheme was unlawful "on the grounds that it only seeks to pay cheaper 'flexible' severance payments in making staff redundant". | It claimed that the scheme was unlawful "on the grounds that it only seeks to pay cheaper 'flexible' severance payments in making staff redundant". |
| The action is being contested by the Secretary of Statefor Defence. Mr Justice Wyn Williams has indicated he will not give a ruling on Tuesday. | |
| The MoD's department-wide voluntary early release scheme was launched in March 2005 in connection with the civil service-wide reductions required under the 2004 Spending Review. | The MoD's department-wide voluntary early release scheme was launched in March 2005 in connection with the civil service-wide reductions required under the 2004 Spending Review. |
| The cost in severance payments in the 2006-07 financial year was £17m. | The cost in severance payments in the 2006-07 financial year was £17m. |
| 'Management code' | 'Management code' |
| The union said its judicial review application would have a major impact across the civil service, whatever the outcome. | The union said its judicial review application would have a major impact across the civil service, whatever the outcome. |
| In a statement Prospect said: "In supporting evidence, the union says that because the purpose of the scheme is to help reduce the number of civilian staff by at least 5,000, the MoD should use the more favourable 'compulsory' severance terms, rather than seeking to make job cuts on the cheap. | In a statement Prospect said: "In supporting evidence, the union says that because the purpose of the scheme is to help reduce the number of civilian staff by at least 5,000, the MoD should use the more favourable 'compulsory' severance terms, rather than seeking to make job cuts on the cheap. |
| "Prospect says the MoD scheme breaches the terms of the civil service management code and the civil service compensation scheme." | "Prospect says the MoD scheme breaches the terms of the civil service management code and the civil service compensation scheme." |
| The union added that if it won the court case then the MoD would have to revise the existing release scheme and its plans for achieving staffing reductions. | The union added that if it won the court case then the MoD would have to revise the existing release scheme and its plans for achieving staffing reductions. |